Promotional Products Find a Niche in the Forms Industry

The integration of promotional products into the forms industry makes for a unique and profitable match.

A seemingly unlikely match on first thought, the forms industry's growing alliance with promotional products suppliers has nonetheless proven to be a very successful pairing.

David Pitner, vice president of sales for Economy Pen and Pencil, Shelbyville, Tenn., said that promotional products suppliers are interested in working with forms distributors because many forms distributors have already tapped into the ad speciality industry and are selling promotional products.

"In this tough economic climate, we have to be aggressive and expand our markets," he said. "We have taken advantage of the opportunity to educate forms distributors on the products that work best for a particular market."

Rob Robinson, advertising and trade show coordinator for Bulletline, a Miami-based supplier of promotional products, agreed with Pitner's assessment of the trend. "Within the past five years, there has been a big movement toward forms distributors selling promotional products," he said.

He added that because forms distributors have expanded into the promotional products industry, they are now able to serve as a "one-stop-shop for customers," adding yet another level of convenience.

Concurring with Robinson's observation, Pitner said, "Selling promotional items is a good way for forms distributors to establish themselves as a full-service company. They already have relationships with their customers, so cultivating those relationships into other profitable areas is wise."

And, profitable, indeed, is the marriage of promotional products with the forms industry.

Robinson said that many forms distributors that his company services gross approximately 30 percent of their sales in promotional products. "Selling promotional products is a great way to add to a company's bottom line. Being able to offer customers these products will add to distributor profits," he explained.